The whole Hundereise team is on holiday near Bad Ischl in the Salzkammergut. We introduced you to our cosy accommodation and 2 great hikes around the Nussen- and Langbathsee, as well as a short "city trip" to the market town of St. Wolfgang, in Part 1.
Today we're telling you about our rainy excursion to the Katrin Alm, the wonderful loop we discovered in the area, and how much we enjoyed the final hike around the Schwarzensee!
The Rainy Katrin Alm in Bad Ischl
It's Sunday morning, in the Salzkammergut, in the middle of summer and… it's raining, with clouds sitting stubbornly in the valley. Not exactly ideal hiking weather, but at least a good reason not to rush. Eventually the rain stops and we decide to try our luck and drive to the cable car at the Katrin Alm.
Once we arrive, we check the live webcam of the mountain station – it shows a lot of fog, but we still believe the clouds will break. With only 14 degrees at 1,416 m, Atlas, Tiago & Neroli definitely get their dog coats put on. Murphy has quite a thick coat – he handles the temperature with ease.
Breakfast at the Berggasthof Katrin.
We buy tickets for the ride up and back down. Muzzles are adjusted and off we go. The gondolas, which have been carrying visitors from Bad Ischl up to the Katrin Alm since 1959, are fairly small four-person cabins, so we split up. Martina rides with Tiago and Neroli. Atlas and Murphy come with me.
All four boys are incredibly brave, because when the gondola rattles over the rollers, the cabin sways quite noticeably. We step off at the top with relief, but that's precisely when it starts raining. So – what to do? As the only guests, we treat ourselves to a delicious breakfast while the furry ones get a chance to recover from the mountain ride.
Hiking trails on the Katrin Alm.
The break in the rain comes at just the right moment as we finish our fried eggs with ham. We make the most of it and explore the path of the 7-Seenblick hike. Where the trail gets narrow and slippery, we turn back and walk back to Kaisers Ansitz. Unfortunately the rain sets in again, so we head back to the cable car.
We could only imagine how beautiful the view towards the Dachstein and beyond must be – you can check it out for yourself on the website of the Katrin cable car. This time the weather gods show us no mercy and the clouds simply refuse to budge.
We bravely climb back into the cabins and in 15 minutes we reach the valley and our car. Back at the house, all four furry ones get a good towel-dry, and as promised in Part 1, the wood-burning stove in the living room gets lit. Yes, in July! And then we snuggle up and doze.
The Surprisingly Beautiful Golf Course Loop
After recovering from our morning adventure and with the rain slowly easing off later in the afternoon, we're ready for a new outing. In one of the hiking apps (I can't remember which one, unfortunately) I find the "Golfplatzrunde" not far from our little holiday cottage.
We park at the car park of the "Golfclub Bad Ischl" in Wirling, which was founded back in 1933. Since it's quite chilly for July and drizzling a little, the Spanish boys keep their rain jackets on at first. Before long the rain cloud finally passes and we warm up as we march on.
Coats into our rucksacks, the Wirlingwände ahead of us, we head towards the Jubiläumssteig and into the forest. The Golfplatzrunde is well signposted with yellow hiking markers. The forest smells wonderful – damp wood and freshly washed nature. Our four furry ones are picking up all sorts of scents. It more than makes up for the miserable morning weather ;)
The Salzkammergut mountain scenery.
In Radau we quickly cross the main road after suddenly hearing a loudly barking farm dog behind us. He stays on his side of the road and we continue to enjoy the magnificent backdrop of the Salzkammergut mountains in peaceful silence. We admire the well-kept houses and farms until we reach the village of Windhag.
There too the gardens are lovingly planted, and the play of colours from the flowers is a delight. Thankfully only Atlas and Neroli notice a deer quenching its thirst at the little stream as it crosses our path. We manage to look the other way quickly enough for Tiago and Murphy, and the deer is able to slip back into the forest without any great commotion.
Apart from that, we meet just four people in total along the entire route – not a soul more. Near Aschau we turn left again and after roughly 2 hours we arrive back at our starting point. This atmospheric loop sends us home to our cottage perfectly content, and after dinner we're soon fast asleep.
Summary: "Golfplatzrunde Bad Ischl"
Route data
- Pace: leisurely with breaks
- Stated walking time: 1:40 hours
- Our time: approximately 2:10 hours
- Distance: 6.1 km
- Ascent: 88 hm
- Descent: 89 hm
- Highest point: 592 hm
- Lowest point: 504 hm
Dog Facts
- Hike on asphalt and forest trails
- Wildlife encounters possible
- no grazing livestock (and if any, further away and fenced in)
- free-roaming farm dogs possible
- few people that evening (well, it was Sunday)
To the Schwarzensee to Round Things Off
On Monday morning, before heading home, we want to squeeze in one more short trip. Since the next guests aren't arriving until the following day, our lovely landlady Karin lets us know we're welcome to use the little cottage for as long as we like.
We set off nice and early all the same, and in just 15 minutes by car we reach the paid car park at the Schwarzensee. Only 5 cars in sight. Leads onto the hiking harnesses, and off we go! We start our loop clockwise from the southern shore.
The breathtaking view of the mountain lake, right next to the well-known inn "Zur Lore", is of course reason enough to stop for a photo break and a splash around. From the campsite, which is wonderfully idyllic, we continue past the western side towards the northern shore.
Tiago explores the drinking trough, Murphy trots boldly ahead across the bridge. Atlas, Neroli, Martina and I simply enjoy the nature and the peace and quiet. On the eastern shore, we start meeting a few hikers, cyclists and the occasional dog owner coming the other way.
We manage to get a Hundereise team selfie at the end of the loop and find the car park already pretty full. It is just after 10 o'clock, after all. We couldn't care less. We've enjoyed our morning walk and head back to the holiday cottage to pack.
Summary "Schwarzensee"
Tour Data
- Pace: leisurely
- Stated walking time: 1:10 hours
- Our time: approximately 1:30 hours
- Distance: 4 km
- Ascent: 49 hm
- Descent: 51 hm
- Highest point: 765 hm
- Lowest point: 716 hm
Dog Facts
- Flat hike on a gravel path
- Towards the end, encounters with hikers, runners and dog owners
Farewell to Our Home Away from Home for the Short Trip.
We had a wonderful stay in Karin's holiday cottage and in the varied surroundings of Bad Ischl. And because there is so much to explore here, we'll be back in the Salzkammergut before long!
Do you have any tips for us on what we absolutely should do in this area?
This post reflects my own personal experience and impressions. I was neither asked nor paid by our landlady to write it. The stay was simply so relaxing and dog-friendly that I didn't want to keep it to myself — other dog owners deserve to know about it too.
